The Swiss Melanie Maurer won the long-distance world championship in duathlon in Zofingen. The local hero, who grew up in the region, stood at the top of the podium for the first time on Sunday. A dream of hers has come true. In the elite men's category, Frenchman Matthieu Bourgeois took the world title. The German Fabian Holbach was second, the Swiss Michael Ott third.
She finally did it: Melanie Maurer won the gold medal in the long distance (10 km running, 150 km cycling, 30 km run). The Swiss crowned a season that had gone well. In the spring, Maurer was already the winner of the middle-distance world championships in Denmark. Maurer in the statement after the race: "I always thought: If I win the world title in Zofingen, then I'll stop. Now, after this great season, I don't know if I should actually retire." Last year Maurer had to give up due to hypothermia. This time the weather conditions at the Powerman Zofingen were optimal, it was mostly sunny: In the morning, at the start, the temperature was 13 degrees, in the afternoon it was 26 degrees. Around 400 athletes took part in the competitions on Sunday.
Last year's winner was third
Last year's winner Merle Brunnée (DE) was third, the Danish Lotte Claes second. Melanie Maurer and Lotto Claes led the field of participants on the running course, followed by Merle Brunnée (DE), Antonia Luchini (AT), Sarah Noemi Frieden (CH), Ann Schoot Uiterkmap (NL) and Katrin Esefeld (DE). The gaps were small at first. This changed as the race progressed. After around two hours, Maurer and Claes were still in the lead. Merle Brunnée (DE) followed on the bike course with a gap of four minutes. In the meantime, Brunnée lost orientation on the bike course and lost valuable time. Sarah Noemi Frieden (CH) followed ten minutes behind and Antonia Luchini (AT) 12 minutes behind. Katrin Esefeld (DE) has already fallen back a lot: her gap to the top was 18 minutes. Nina Zoller, winner of the 2019 World Championships, had registered but did not start.
After 62 kilometers, Maurer and Claes pulled away and took turns at the front. Brunnée tried again to shorten the gap to the top. However, the leading group was traveling too fast. The gap to the top increased by ten minutes towards the end. On the last 30 km run, Maurer attacked and finally distanced her competitor Claes by 4 minutes. Sarah Noemi Frieden gave up during the race.
favorites among themselves
Among the elite men, the favorites seemed to live up to their roles. The field was still tight after almost two hours: Daan De Groot Daan (NL), Holbach Fabian (DE), Fabian Zehnder (CH), Michael Ott and Matthieu Bourgeois were only a few minutes apart. The other duathletes in the top ten also had a chance of a top rank: Michael Pfanner (CH), Jens-Michael Gossauer (CH), Baptiste Domanico (FR), last year's winner Seppe Odeyn (BE) and Richard Lustenberger ( CH).
As the elite took to the running course, Ott, Holbach, Bourgeois and Odeyin remained close. After that, Bourgeois turned up the heat and took the lead on the demanding 30-kilometre run. In the statement, Bourgeois said: “Becoming world champion is a great feeling. I used to dream of the Tour de France maillot jaune; but the world title is also great.”
Short distance: the Swiss among themselves
It was already clear before the start that the short distance - 10 km running, 50 km cycling, 5 km running - would be a Swiss affair: the field of participants was mostly made up of athletes from Switzerland. Last year's winner, Anna Zehnder, finished second, a few seconds behind Desirée Knecht. However, such a close exit could have been avoided. Apparently, Zehnder was not properly briefed by a marshal. The Swiss Léon Koller won the men's race.
Results 14th Duathlon World Championships in Zofingen
Men: World Triathlon Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships 2022
1 Bourgeois Matthieu (FR) 6:03.57; 2. Holbach Fabian (DE) 6:04.24 (+26); 3. Ott Michael (CH) 6:05.15 (+1.17); 4. Odeyn Seppe (BE) 6:06.28 (+2.31); 5. Domanico Baptiste (FR) 6:13.25 (+9.27); 6. Gossauer Jens-Michael (CH) 6:18.55 (+14.57); 7. Van Snick Bernd (BE) 6:25.06 (+21.08); Driever Wout (NL) 6:27.16 (+23.18); 9. Soltys Daniel (GB) 6:29.29 (+25.31); 10. Henry Victor (FR) 6:33.38 (+29.40); 11. Frommhold Jens (DE) 6:37.02 (+33.04); 12. Michael Pfanner (CH) 6:39.02 (+35.04); 13. Schlemonat Ricardo (DE) 6:40.17 (+36.20); 14. Marty Stefan (CH) 6:44.32 (+40.34); 15. Close Greg (US) 6:44.45 (+40.47); 16. Claeys Jerome (BE) 6:45.47 (+41.49); 17. Bogaerts Steven (BE) 6:46.18 (+42.20); 18. Colgan David (IT) 6:47.55 (+43.57); 19. Callewaert Cédric (BE) 6:50.11 (+46.13); 20. Gogolin Thomas (DE) 6:50.41 (+46.43).
Women: World Triathlon Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships 2022
1 Maurer Melanie (CH) 6:47.49; 2. Claes Lotte (BE) 6:52.29 (+4.39); 3. Brunnée Merle (DE) 6:58.30 (+10.40); 4. Kobs Anja (DE) 7:41.58 (+54.08); 5. Sanders Debbie (BE) 7:50.00 (+1:02.10); 6. Esefeld Katrin (DE) 7:54.50 (+1:07.01); 7. Luchini Antonia (AT) 7:58.06 (+1:10.17); 8. Lalaguna Beatriz (ES) 8:02.08 (+1:14.18); 9. Frey Nicole (CH) 8:09.25 (+1:21.35); 10. Hattingh Christelle (SA) 8:11.23 (+1:23.34); 11. Thirifay's Dolphins (BE) 8:16.17 (+1:28.28); 12. Hetzel Kristen (US) 8:25.57 (+1:38.07); 13. Muehlfellner Karoline (US) 8:30.36 (+1:42.46); 14. Millett Jennifer (GB) 8:33.12 (+1:45.22); 15. Hayes Melanie (GB) 8:44.54 (+1:57.05). 16. Borel Veronique (FR) 8:56.30 (+2:08.40); 17. Shu Wu (US) 9:00.13 (+2:12.24); 18. Gottleuber Rita (DE) 9:11.30 (+2:23.40); 19. Egan Kelly (AU) 9:11.49 (+2:24.00); 20. Kilmer Loretta (US) 9:22.32 (+2:34.43). #
Short Distance Men
1 Koller Leon (CH) 2:07.52; 2. Gutknecht Valentin (CH) 2:09.44 (+1.52); 3. Valente Stefano (CH) 2:11.30 (+3.38); 4. Widmer Marc (CH) 2:12.06 (+4.13); 5. Frauchiger Edi (CH) 2:13.39 (+5.47); 6. West Theo (CH) 2:14.40 (+6.48); 7. Graber Joel (CH) 2:15.11 (+7.19); 8. Suter Nicola (CH) 2:16.39 (+8.47); 9. Brewer Jarrod (CH) 2:17.19 (+9.27); 10. Macrae Andrew (CH) 2:17.58 (+10.06).
Short Distance Women
1 servant Desirée (CH) 1.29; 2 Zehnder Anna (CH) 2:28.18 (+21 sec); 3. Raschle Irina (CH) 2:32.18 (+4.22); 4. Baumgartner Leonie (CH) 2:37.08 (+9.12.1); 5. Baumberger Jacqueline (CH) 2:38.15 (+10.19); 6. Häfeli Tanja (CH) 2:38.21 (+10.25); 7. Wiedemann Gertrud (CH) 2:38.52 (+10.56); 8. Stampfli Carla (CH) 2:39.59 (+12.03); 9. Limacher Jolanda (CH) 2:45.01 (+17.05); 10. Castelberg Sybille (CH) 2:46.17 (+18.21).
The next Powerman Zofingen will take place on 2./3. Sep 2023.
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